New India coach: The search is on

It has been two weeks since Bob Houghton has resigned as India coach and I have to compliment the All India Football Federation in their search for a replacement, then it has been going on calmly and quietly without much fuss or information being leaked to the media.

The only fact really known is that over 50 coaches, mainly from Europe, have applied to become the new coach of the Indian national football team, but that fact was officially confirmed by the AIFF. The AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das has also said that he was surprised at the number of high level coaches who have applied to coach India, but their high salary demands would be a problem or something which takes some of these coaches off the list.

Still some names did come out like that of former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman, Dutchman Ruud Krol and Belgian Tom Saintfiet; but otherwise no one has stated their application or any of the agents in the name of their clients. The AIFF is going by its plans to find a suitable coach for its next phase of development within the national team set-up.

The names of Moroccan Karim Bencharifa of Salgaocar SC, East Bengal Club's English coach Trevor Morgan and that of long-time Dempo SC coach Armando Colaco name been linked though it seems clear that the AIFF is looking to name a foreign coach as new India coach and likely someone not currently coaching in India. This would mean all these coaches would be out of the race for the hot seat.

So it is wait and watch to see who becomes the new India coach...